KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Behind Junior Annie Rauchs Career-best 22 points The Ball State women’s basketball team managed to wrap up the two-game streak Wednesday night at University Arena with a 64-56 win in Western Michigan.
The Cardinals (16-10, 9-7 MAC) again played with high intensity against the Broncos (14-12, 8-9 MAC), particularly in the second half when Ball State shot over 50 percent from the field in both the third and also in the fourth quarter.
Similar to the recent game against the Broncos, Ball State overtook Western Michigan 45-32 for the second straight contest.
Rauch played like crazy, leading the Cardinals to a perfect 10-on-10 off the field, 22 points back. Not far behind was Rauch Junior Sydney Freeman who scored 18 points. Defensive, newbie Ally Becky led Ball State with nine rebounds and dished out five assists.
The game was a neck-and-neck race for the first three quarters of play, with seven draws and 12 lead changes. Much like the other day when these two teams met, it was pretty much all ball state, regardless of how close the result might have been.
The Cardinals led almost the entire game 30-40 to be precise within the 40 minutes of the game. The Cardinals were able to break away from the Broncos in the fourth quarter.
Ball State beat Western Michigan 25-19, ultimately leading to the Cardinals’ victory tonight, along with key baskets from Rauch and Freeman.
The two kept BSU in check when it mattered, as did their teammates, BSU at a time when victories en route to the eventual Mid-American Conference Tournament, which begins in Cleveland today, March 9, are crucial to lead past the WMU.
The Ball State women’s basketball team returns home Saturday when it hosts Northern Illinois at 1 p.m. ET at the Worthen Arena. The Cardinals vs. Huskies game day sponsor is LifeStream Services. It will also be Ball State’s annual “Think Pink” game, where fans will be encouraged to wear pink to raise awareness of breast cancer.
Fans can purchase tickets to the game by calling the Stoops Buick/GMC Ticket Center at 888.BSU.TICKET or 765.285.1474 to join the Cardinal Family at Worthen Arena! Season and group tickets are also on sale now, while single game tickets are also available online at Ticketmaster.com.
